Non-textual representation of access activities regarding a resource

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed to present an authorized user of a resource with a non-textual representation of characteristics regarding a historical record of access attempts to the resource while the authorized user accessing the resource. Such techniques may be further enhanced by providing the capability to notify an investigatory entity of undesired access attempts or by premising the presentation of such a non-textual representation upon the authentication of the authorized user. The presentation of the non-textual representation may be configured by the authorized user and may also be premised upon reaching a certain threshold of undesired access attempts. Such techniques may utilize a user interface subsystem that interacts with a access management subsystem.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of non-textually displaying a historical record of access attempts to a protected resource, comprising: 
 (a) granting permission for a user to access a user-specific aspect of a protected resource;    (b) obtaining a record of past access attempts, purportedly of said user, from an access management database;    (c) providing, for displaying to said user, a representation of at least a portion of said record: 
 (i) capable of indicating improper access attempts over a reporting interval;  
 (ii) in a non-textual manner without primarily conveying information via semantic content;  
 (iii) while said user is connected to said resource;  
 (iv) thereby enabling said user to initiate corrective action upon detection, if at all, of improper access attempts; and  
   (d) updating said record by transmitting at least one characteristic of said access to said access management database.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  where said displayed representation indicates both improper and proper access attempts.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  where said displayed representation differentially displays information reflecting access attempts by a plurality of authorized users.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  where said displayed representation includes a duration of one or more past access attempts.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  where said displaying includes differentially displaying information pertaining to proper and improper access attempts.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  where said displayed representation further includes a secondary level of information using a textual display.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  where said displayed non-textual representation includes at least one characteristic of a past attempt to use the resource, said characteristic indicating more than simply the occurrence of said past attempt.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  where said displaying while said user is connected to said resource includes transmitting said representation for printing on a card charge slip at a merchant's printer.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  where said displaying while said user is connected to said resource includes printing said representation of said portion of said record on a physical medium.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  where said displaying is conditioned on data in said record indicating satisfaction of an economic threshold.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  where said displaying while said user is connected to said resource occurs in an offline manner.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  where said displayed non-textual representation includes an activity bar.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  where said displayed non-textual representation includes the use of color.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  where said access to said resource is shared by a plurality of authorized users.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  where said record includes an identifier of an improper transaction.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  where said transmitted characteristic includes purchase information.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  where said access includes a credit card purchase transaction.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising informing an investigatory entity after detecting an unauthorized access attempt.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1  where said displaying is conditioned on said record exceeding a predetermined threshold of improper access attempts.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1  where said resource includes a financial account.  
     
     
         21 . A system for displaying characteristics relating to a resource accessible to at least one authorized user, comprising: 
 (a) means for monitoring a plurality of access attempts to said resource over a time interval;    (b) means for creating a record of characteristics from said plurality of access attempts during said time interval; and    (c) means for displaying to said authorized user, while said authorized user is accessing said resource, a non-textual representation of said record in a manner capable of distinguishing an access attempt by said authorized user from those of an unauthorized user; and    (d) means for notifying an investigatory entity that a portion of said plurality of access attempts is unauthorized.    
     
     
         22 . A system for maintaining a record of access attempts to a protected resource, and enabling a user to detect unauthorized access attempts, comprising: 
 (a) a user interface subsystem configured to: 
 (i) receive a request from an authorized user to conduct a transaction with a user-specific aspect of a protected resource;  
 (ii) obtain a record of past access attempts, purportedly of said user, from an access management database;  
 (iii) display to said user, a representation of at least a portion of said record: 
 (A) capable of indicating improper access attempts over a reporting interval;  
 (B) in a non-textual manner without primarily conveying information via semantic content;  
 (C) while said user is connected to said resource; and  
 
   (b) an access management subsystem configured to maintain said record of past attempts in said database.    
     
     
         23 . A method of non-textually displaying a historical record of access attempts to a protected resource, comprising: 
 (a) receiving a request from an authorized user to conduct a transaction with a user-specific aspect of a protected resource;    (b) granting access permission to said user;    (c) receiving a record of past access attempts, purportedly of said user, from an access management database;    (d) displaying to said user, a representation of at least a portion of said record: 
 (i) capable of indicating improper access attempts over a reporting interval;  
 (ii) in a non-textual manner without primarily conveying information via semantic content;  
 (iii) while said user is connected to said resource;  
 (iv) thereby enabling said user to initiate corrective action upon detection, if at all, of improper access attempts;  
   (e) enabling updating of said record by transmitting at least one characteristic of said access to said access management database.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  where said displayed representation differentially displays information reflecting access attempts by a plurality of authorized users.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  where said displayed representation includes a duration of one or more past access attempts.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23  where said displaying includes differentially displaying information pertaining to proper and improper access attempts.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23  where said displayed representation further includes a secondary level of information using a textual display.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 23  where said displaying while said user is connected to said resource includes printing said representation on a card charge slip at a merchant's printer.  
     
     
         29 . A computer-readable medium including logic instructions for non-textually displaying a historical record of access attempts to a protected resource, said instructions when executed: 
 (a) granting permission for a user to access a user-specific aspect of a protected resource;    (b) obtaining a record of past access attempts, purportedly of said user, from an access management database;    (c) providing, for displaying to said user, a representation of at least a portion of said record: 
 (i) capable of indicating improper access attempts over a reporting interval;  
 (ii) in a non-textual manner without primarily conveying information via semantic content;  
 (iii) while said user is connected to said resource;  
 (iv) thereby enabling said user to initiate corrective action upon detection, if at all, of improper access attempts; and  
 (d) updating said record by transmitting at least one characteristic of said access to said access management database.